Military News

Thursday, September 04, 2008

Sept. 4, 2008 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates called on his fellow defense ministers from across the Americas meeting in Canada yesterday to continue their cooperation and collaboration so they can provide a unified front to security challenges facing the region.Speaking last night at the 8th Conference of Defense Ministers of the Americans in Banff, Alberta, Gates emphasized the strength of unity in light of changes ranging from terrorism, transnational crime, natural and manmade disasters, human trafficking, cyber threats and smuggling of weapons of mass destruction.

"While these threats may appear daunting, we cannot forget how far we have come in the past few decades, and especially since the Cold War," Gates told defense ministers from more than 30 countries. He cited sweeping changes that have ushered in democratic ideals, open markets, social justice, respect for individual freedoms and human rights, as well as protections against crime, terrorism and instability.

"Challenges to democratic governance and regional stability remain, but there is also growing recognition throughout the hemisphere that we must stand together against common threats," he said.

Gates pointed to examples of cooperation and collaboration already under way:

-- The Caribbean Community is working to improve domain awareness and patrol capabilities;

-- South American nations hope to form a regional defense council to improve military cooperation and exchange information;

-- More than 90 nations, including several from the Americas, have signed the Proliferation Security Initiative to prevent criminals from obtaining weapons of mass destruction; and

-- Mexico and Central American nations are partnering with the United States to combat drug cartels.

Gates said he's impressed by regional leaders' commitment to solving security issues essential to the region's economic growth and long-term stability. "We must find ways to capitalize on our individual strengths, while also respecting and honoring the sovereignty of each nation here today," he said.

Meanwhile, Gates noted the importance of cooperation, not just across national boundaries, but also within government departments and agencies, to face transnational crime, terrorism and national disasters.

Gates said he looks forward to working with his fellow defense ministers at the conference that continues through Sept. 6 to explore new ways to work toward common goals.

"We have a collective dream: a free, prosperous and secure hemisphere," he said. "By working together, we can transform that dream into reality and embrace the great promise and potential of the Americas."

The Conference of Defense Ministers of the Americans has been held every two years since 1995.

"Now more than ever, we are all connected and need to cooperate to achieve the security, democratic development, and prosperity we all desire," said Canadian Defense Minister Peter Gordon MacKay, who is hosting this year's conference.

Sept. 4, 2008 - With the majority of the state without electricity and in need of food, water and basic necessities, the Louisiana National Guard has shifted its post-Hurricane Gustav focus. "After the landfall of Gustav, our focus was to save lives beginning immediately at dawn [Sept. 2]. By 11 a.m., we had flown the affected area across the state and realized that search and rescue wasn't required," Army Col. Douglas J. Mouton, the Louisiana Guard's operations officer, explained. "We immediately shifted our focus from search and rescue to food and water distribution, which is a significant operational transition. Now, here we are 24 hours after that focus shifted, standing up food, water, ice and tarp distribution points."

The Guard soldiers set up 22 distribution sites in about 48 hours since the focus shift, Mouton said. So far, more than 640,000 packaged meals, 920,000 liters of water and 25,000 tarps have been distributed to those affected, he added.

The Guard is focused on increasing distribution sites throughout the state over the next few days as roads are cleared and troops make their way to locations around the state to assist those in need.

"We evacuated, so we were OK, but I know those who didn't went far too long without necessities," said Daniel McLaughlin, a resident of Mandeville, La., who was affected by Hurricane Katrina three years ago. "I am really impressed with the speed of assistance, and it makes me proud to see that emergency response has come so far."

Mouton agreed.

"As we mobilize to get the distribution points set up, we get requests from the parishes and prioritize as quickly as possible," he said. "When you consider the scale and magnitude of the distribution mission, given an extremely tight schedule, it is pretty impressive. We are not where we want to be, but will not stop pressing the effort until all the affected people of Louisiana are getting the support they need and deserve."

By Air Force Tech. Sgt. Thomas KielbasaSpecial to American Forces Press Service

Sept. 4, 2008 - If the Southeast is taking a one-two-three combination punch from tropical storms this month, then Florida is the boxer in the middle trying to dodge the destructive swings. As Tropical Storm Hanna set its sights on the mid-Atlantic coastline, the Florida National Guard continued what has become weeks of ongoing vigilance during the peak of the 2008 hurricane season.

After wrapping up recovery efforts for flooding from Tropical Storm Fay in late August, the Florida National Guard immediately sent aircraft and communications equipment -- along with the personnel to operate them -- to Louisiana to assist with Hurricane Gustav missions.

Florida dispatched a C-23 Sherpa airplane to southern Louisiana on Aug. 31 to help with medical evacuations of special-needs patients, and deployed four of its Regional Emergency Response Network trailers to the area to help first responders communicate after the storm, Army Maj. Gen. Douglas Burnett, Florida's adjutant general, said during a state-level news conference Sept. 1.

But as the central Gulf Coast began to clean up after the Category 2 Hurricane Gustav struck, all eyes were on three other storms churning their way through the Atlantic: Hanna, Ike and Josephine.

Full-time Guard personnel across the state ensured plans, equipment and personnel were ready if any of the storms strengthened and threatened Florida. If needed, more than 9,000 members of the Florida National Guard could immediately be called for disaster recovery missions.

Yesterday morning in West Palm Beach, soldiers from the 254th Transportation Battalion tracked Hanna's progress and made sure their equipment – including high-water military vehicles – was ready for action.

"In the last four years, we've supported at least eight hurricanes throughout the whole state," Army Maj. Jeffrey Strickle, 254th Battalion executive officer, said in his office at the Callaway Armory in West Palm Beach.

Strickle and his administration staff were checking the latest update of Hanna's track on the National Hurricane Center's Web site. By comparing the newest update to previous models, they noted the storm appeared to be veering east and farther away from Florida's coastline.

That updated path prediction was good news for Florida, but Strickle noted Tropical Storm Ike was not far behind, and its track put it as a strengthening hurricane moving toward Florida's southern tip. And beyond Ike on the Atlantic weather chart was Tropical Storm Josephine.

The 254th Transportation Battalion was ready and waiting regardless of what's coming, Strickle said. He explained that although the unit has more than 150 soldiers deployed to Afghanistan, it could call up more than 220 soldiers immediately for storm recovery missions.

militarypolice from the battalion are available for security assistance missions, the transportation companies have military tractor trucks ready for hauling supplies such as ice or water, and the entire battalion is "well versed" in operating distribution points during emergencies.

The battalion's contingent of high-water vehicles – including light medium tactical vehicles, or LMTVs – are prepared for driving through flooded areas if needed after a storm passes.

After Tropical Storm Fay brought heavy rain to much of Florida, members of the 254th used the high-water vehicles in four South Florida counties to help emergency first responders perform damage and flood assessment. One of their missions – along with soldiers from the Guard's 116th Field Artillery Regiment – was to help evacuate flood victims in Okeechobee County.

"Overall, it wasn't bad, but there certainly was a need in certain remote areas in each county," Strickle said, noting the local emergency operations centers were reassured by the Guard's presence.

Army Sgt. 1st Class Robert Talent, truckmaster for the battalion's 218th Transportation Company, helped with the assessment missions and noted the LMTVs can traverse areas flooded with several feet of water. The battalion's new vehicles are perfect for storm recovery in Florida, he said.

"The LMTV is very useful, because it is so versatile," he explained, pointing out the five high-water trucks in the motor pool behind the West Palm Beach armory. "It can haul cargo and hold passengers. Everything is already prepared. They are ready. These are brand-new vehicles. These are ready to go at all times. Everything is 'green status.'"

Army Staff Sgt. Mike Neal, a West Palm Beach resident, acts as the unofficial "stormtracker" for the unit. He follows the tracks of the storms on the Internet several times each day, and provides updates to senior leadership at the armory.

Although he has no meteorological training, Neal said that like many Floridians, he follows storm formation in the tropics throughout hurricane season and prepares his family in case he has to leave for disaster recovery with the National Guard.

"Basically, from June until the end of October, you have to be ready for anything," Neal explained. "My wife and I stock up on supplies and water. If you've been down here for a long time, it's just second-nature. You just have to have a bag packed and be ready to go at any time."

By this morning, Tropical Storm Hanna was projected to pass to the east of Florida and head north toward North Carolina, but Ike, now a hurricane, was moving west toward the Bahamas, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Sept. 4, 2008 - Vice President Richard B. Cheney arrived in Georgia today, delivering "a message of friendship" from the U.S. and condemning Russia's "illegitimate, unilateral" aggression against the former Soviet republic last month. "Americans are acutely conscious of the great trials your country has faced over the last four weeks, and we stand in solidarity with the people of Georgia," Cheney said at a news conference in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi.

Russian forces invaded Georgia last month and continue to maintain a military presence there in defiance of a cease-fire deal reached Aug. 13. Moscow further angered the international community last week when it officially recognized the Georgian regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent states.

Cheney said the United States is coming to Georgia's aid as it works to recover from the Russian invasion and its "illegitimate, unilateral attempt to change your country's borders by force that has been universally condemned by the free world."

"Now, it is the responsibility of the free world to rally to the side of Georgia," the vice president said.

Cheney's visit to Tbilisi comes a day after President Bush pledged to provide $1 billion in recovery aid to Georgia. Funding will support reconstruction, humanitarian needs and the resettlement of displaced persons, Cheney said.

Assistance promised yesterday will supplement the more than 2 million pounds of humanitarian supplies the U.S. military has delivered so far.

The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of three U.S. servicemen, missing from World War Two, have been identified and will be returned to their families for burial with full military honors.

They are Ensign Irvin A.R. Thompson, of Hudson County, N.J.; Ensign Eldon P. Wyman, of Portland, Ore.; and Fireman 2nd Class Lawrence A. Boxrucker, of Dorchester, Wis.; all U.S. Navy. Boxrucker will be buried on Sept. 6 in Dorchester, and the funerals for Thompson and Wyman are being set by their families.

When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor Dec. 7, 1941, the battleship USS Oklahoma suffered multiple torpedo hits and capsized. As a result, 429 sailors and Marines died. Following the attack, 36 of these servicemen were identified and the remaining 393 were buried as unknowns in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, Hawaii.

In 2003, an independent researcher contacted the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) with information he believed indicated that one of the USS Oklahoma casualties who was buried as an unknown could be positively identified. After reviewing the case, JPAC exhumed the casket, and discovered that it contained what is believed to be the remains of at least 28 other men in addition to the three identified.

Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from JPAC and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory also used mitochondrial DNA and dental comparisons in the identification of remains for Thompson, Wyman and Boxrucker. Additional remains that could not be attributed to these servicemen will undergo further analysis.

For additional information on the Defense Department's mission to account for missing Americans, visit the DPMO Web site at http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo or call (703) 699-1169.

Sept. 4, 2008 - Like a scene from pit road during a stock car race, cars and trucks formed a line as National Guard soldiers, looking like pit crew members, gave away packaged meals and water to Louisiana residents suffering from damage left in Hurricane Gustav's wake. That was the scene at one of many distribution points set up across the state to help citizens recover from the storm and deal with the loss of electrical power.

"I think it's great," Floyd Wagner of Killian, La., said, commenting on the food and water he was about to receive. "[Louisiana residents] need all the help they can get, because everybody in the community needs it."

First in line here was Ruby Mayeaux of Livingston. She said she was driving by and saw the trucks arrive at a local kennel club. "The Lord blessed me," she said of her prized position in line.

Radio reports said lines at some distribution points were nine hours long. Within an hour, the line at the Livingston distribution point extended a mile down the exit ramp to Interstate 12; another line extended about a half mile on the overpass.

The National Guard soldiers said they are happy to deliver the food and water.

"It feels really good that we can help out," said Army Pvt. Marvin Warner of Vidalia, La., as he helped stack the boxes of meals. Warner is a driver for the 1086th Transportation Company.

"It's pretty fun going to different places every day," said Warner, who has been to five towns since Aug. 28. Warner is a physical therapy major at University of Louisiana Monroe when not serving in the Guard.

Army Spc. Zachary Morrison of the Tennessee National Guard said he takes honor in helping his fellow Americans. "It's good to help Americans in their time of need," he said as he directed the drivers to pit road.

"It's good to help, but home is home. It's good to help Americans when you can," said Morrison, an infantryman with Headquarters Troop, 2nd Battalion, 278th Armored Cavalry Regiment.

Sept. 4, 2008 - Army Staff Sgt. Lonny Steele helps his fellow soldiers succeed in one of the most difficult forms of warfare: close-combat fighting. As the combatives instructor for the 25th Infantry Division's 225th Brigade Support Battalion Headquarters and Headquarters Company, Steele trains soldiers to overcome the many physical and psychological barriers associated with close combat.

"He helps soldiers overcome what psychologists call the universal human phobia, which is doing violence upon another human – especially in hand-to-hand combat," said Army Lt. Col. Mark Collins, of Phoenix, commander of 225th BSB. "If you look at the difficulty of killing in proximity to distance, the closer you get, the more difficult it becomes to do violence to another human being, and he helps bridge that psychology gap through his close-combat training."

Steele, of Honolulu, said he gains a sense of pride and accomplishment by sharing his knowledge with fellow soldiers in his weekly combatives class.

"I like training the soldiers," he said. "A lot of them come here with the attitude that they don't want to learn it, or that it's boring. But by the end of the day, they are glad that they came – and they can't wait to come back next week – and I like that I can give something back to the soldiers."

And his students appreciate the skills and techniques Steele teaches. "Sergeant Steele's leadership style always motivates soldiers and drives them to be the best," said Army Spc. Daniel Randall of Chicago, who is assigned to the 225th BSB. "He leads by example, and he's not afraid to get his hands dirty."

Steele strives to teach soldiers in such a way that they can then help each other. "I don't expect them to just learn the moves," he said. "They have to learn to be the trainer for other soldiers."

"He's an outstanding [NCO], and he enables me to do a lot of things," Collins said. "He keeps me out of trouble when we are dismounted during operations."

As if those two jobs weren't enough, Steele's strong Polynesian roots have landed him doing a lot of artistic tribal woodwork for his battalion as well.

"I got started doing woodwork when we performed a dance called Toa O Taji, which translates from Samoan to 'Warriors of Taji,'" Steele said. "So, I made the tribal sticks, and they liked them. From there, I branched off to warrior weapons, picture frames and whatever you can think of."

Regardless of the heavy workload, Steele said, he feels privileged to have gained his knowledge through the military and looks to a bright future.

"I was fortunate to go to all of these schools and be certified in different things," he said. "I'm very happy where I am."

By Air Force Lt. Col. Ellen KrenkeSpecial to American Forces Press Service

Sept. 4, 2008 - Four states along the East Coast are employing their National Guards as Tropical Storm Hanna nears. Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina have almost 40,000 Army and Air National Guard members available to their governors, if needed. This includes almost 11,000 in North Carolina, 9,000 in Florida, 11,000 in South Carolina and 9,000 in Georgia.

"The National Guard is pre-positioning several multifunction force packages of trained people and equipment that will be used for transportation, distribution of supplies, ground evacuation, swift water rescue and security of impacted areas," said Army Maj. Randall Short, a public affairs officer with the National Guard Bureau.

Florida and Georgia expect to avoid a hit from Hanna, but two Air National Guard units in those states have evacuated their aircraft nonetheless. The 125th Fighter Wing in Jacksonville, Fla., has evacuated 13 F-15 aircraft to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. The 165th Airlift Wing in Savannah, Ga., has evacuated four C-130 aircraft to McGhee Tyson Air National Guard Base in Knoxville, Tenn.

In South Carolina, Gov. Mark Sanford announced in a briefing today that about 250 soldiers from the South Carolina National Guard will remain on standby. He also asked for the voluntary evacuation of Georgetown and Horry counties in the northeast section of the state. Three emergency shelters in those areas would be opened for anyone needing assistance.

At McEntire Joint National Guard Base, S.C., the Army National Guard plans to shelter all of its aviation assets on base, while the 169th Fighter Wing will keep 12 of its F-16s in hangars. The unit's 12 remaining F-16s and one C-130 will be evacuated to Texas tomorrow, said Air Force Maj. Jim St. Clair, a public affairs officer with the South Carolina National Guard.

In North Carolina, Gov. Mike Easley ordered 270 Guard members to state active duty yesterday in preparation for the storm. Guard members will start arriving for duty today and will be in place tomorrow, said Army Maj. Matt Handley, the state public affairs officer for the North Carolina National Guard.

The North Carolina National Guard will field several multifunction force packages of about 50 personnel each, capable of providing security, ground evacuation, transportation, and equipped with swift-water rescue personnel, according to a news release from the state.

Other Guard members will provide logistics support, and six UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters are on standby to conduct missions if needed, the release stated.

North Carolina Guard planners also met with state emergency management personnel over the last several days to finalize plans as the storm approached. All state active duty missions are coordinated through the state emergency management agency.

The North Carolina Guard has mobilized for numerous hurricanes and brings a great deal of knowledge and expertise to these types of operations, Handley said. The last deployment for a hurricane was in 2006, when North Carolina mobilized about 220 personnel for Tropical Storm Ernesto.

Virginia Gov. Timothy Kaine declared a state of emergency in his state today in anticipation of Hanna. He authorized state agencies to identify and preposition resources for quick response anywhere they are needed in Virginia, according to a news release from the governor's office.

The Virginia Emergency Operations Center has increased its operations in response to this declaration, and the Virginia National Guard has personnel alerted and on standby for potential response and recovery missions associated with the storm, the release stated.

"Current forecasts predict Hanna will bring tropical-storm-force winds to Virginia, causing coastal flooding and the very real possibility of tornadoes and power outages," Kaine said in a news release. "Virginians should listen to their local government representatives and local news media for instructions for the duration of the storm."

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported today that the center of Hanna was located about 205 miles east of Nassau and about 670 miles south-southeast of Wilmington, N.C. The storm is moving toward the northwest at about 14 mph, a pace expected to continue for the next couple of days with a gradual increase in speed, according to NOAA.

On this track, the center of Hanna will be near the southeast coast of the United States by late tomorrow.

Navistar Defense LLC, Warrenville, Ill., is being awarded a $752,042,549 firm-fixed-priced delivery order #0009 under previously awarded contract (M67854-07-D-5032) for the procurement of Category I (CAT I) Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) low rate initial production vehicles with engineering change proposal upgrades for enhanced maneuverability and associated non-recurring engineering costs. This order will also be used to support the procurement of additional CAT I MRAP vehicles to provide protection of U.S. military personnel supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. Work will be performed in WestPoint, Miss., and work is expected to be completed Feb. 2009. Contract funds will not expire by the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured. The Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Va., is the contracting activity.

Canadian Commercial Corp., General Dynamics Land Systems - Canada, London, Ontario Canada, is being awarded a $7,723,145 firm-fixed-priced delivery order #0005 under a previously awarded contract (M67854-07-D-5028) for the purchase of five test vehicles with engineering change proposal upgrades for enhanced maneuverability and associated non-recurring engineering costs. Work will be performed in Durban, South Africa, (80 percent), and London, Ontario, Canada, (20 percent), and work is expected to be completed no later than Jan. 31, 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured. The Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Va., is the contracting activity.

Force Protection Industries, Inc., Ladson, S.C., is being awarded $7,230,897 for firm-fixed-priced delivery order #0013 under previously awarded contract (M67854-07-D-5031) for the purchase of five test vehicles with engineering change proposal upgrades for enhanced maneuverability and associated non-recurring engineering costs. Work will be performed in, Ladson, S.C., and work is expected to be completed no later than Jan. 31, 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured. The Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Va., is the contracting activity.

IMPACT Science & Technology, Nashua, N.H., is being awarded a $28,447,410 modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-07-C-6319) for the production and support of 550 JCREW 2.1 Radio-Controlled Improvised Explosive Device (RCIED) electronic warfare systems to meet urgent DoD requirements in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Vehicle mounted CREW systems are one element of the DoD's Joint Counter RCIED electronic warfare program. Spiral 2.1 CREW systems are vehicle mounted electronic jammers designed to prevent the initiation of radio-controlled Improvised Explosive Devices. This contract is for the urgent procurement and support of CREW systems, to be used by forces in each of the military services of the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility. The Navy manages the joint CREW program for Office of the Secretary of Defense Joint IED Defeat Organization. Work will be performed in Nashua, N.H., (86 percent) and Dover, N.H., (14 percent), and is expected to be completed by Jan. 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington Navy Yard, D.C., is the contracting activity.

Tetra Tech EC, Inc., Santa Ana, Calif., is being awarded $6,343,703 for firm-fixed-price task order #0002 under a previously awarded environmental multiple award contract (N62473-08-D-8823) for Fisher and Spear Avenues sanitary and storm drain removal at Hunters Point Shipyard. The work to be performed provides for continuing the base-wide sewer sanitary system and storm drain time-critical removal action in Work Areas 15 and 26 (Fisher and Spear Avenues). The contractor will remove the sewer and storm drain lines depicted by the Design Plan. Both Spear and Fisher Avenues are part of the main utility and transportation corridor through the shipyard. Coordination efforts will be required to control access to the radiological work area and reroute transportation and utilities during this removal action. Work will be performed in San Francisco, Calif., and is expected to be completed by Dec. 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Three proposals were received for this task order. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southwest, San Diego, Calif., is the contracting activity.

Science Applications International Corp., of San Diego, Calif., is being awarded an indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract for a maximum of $49 million. This action will provide research and development under BAA entitled "High Energy Research and Application (HERA)," Call 0001 entitled HERA/High power microwave technologies. This effort will advance the state-of-art and scientific knowledge in directed energy Technology such as high power electromagnetic source development, pulsed power and pulsed power systems, and prime power systems. At this time $550,000 has been obligated. Air Force Research Laboratory/RDKP, Det 8 Directorate of Contracting, Kirtland AFB, N.M., is the contracting activity (FA9451-08-D-0170).

The Air Force is modifying cost plus award fee contract with the Boeing Co., of Anaheim, Calif., for $16,707,177. This action will provide survivable communications for U.S. Armed Forces, the Advanced Beyond Line-of-Sight Terminals (FAB-T) must update new platform requirements and Advanced EHF (AEHF) system interface. At this time $6,997,080 has been obligated. Electronic Systems Center, Air Force Materiel Command, USAF, 653d ELSG/PK, Hancom AFB, Mass., is the contracting activity (F19628-02-C-0048, P00146).

Battelle Memorial Institute of Columbus, Ohio, is being awarded a cost plus fixed fee contract for an estimated $9,567,490. This contract action will develop effective and valid methods for measuring chemical agents, and toxic industrial chemicals and materials and their metabolites in biological fluids, assure the quality of these methods, transfer these methods to other public health organizations, and apply these methods to incidents of suspected exposure. 55th Contracting Squadron, 55 CONS/LGCD, Offutt AFB, Neb., is the contracting activity (SP0700-00-D-3180, Delivery Order: 0559).

Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., El Segundo, Calif., was awarded on Sept. 2, 2008, a $7,532,649 cost/plus/fixed fee contract to develop and demonstrate the ability of the Rapid Eye program to rapidly deliver a persistent Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) capability anywhere on the globe through the use of a launch system and the ability to remain on-station until relieved or the mission is completed. Work will be performed in Frederica, Del., Elsinore, Calif., Tustin, Calif., Glenbrook, Nev., Torrance, Calif., Ronkonkoma, N.Y., El Segundo, Calif., San Diego, Calif., and Palmdale, Calif., with an estimated date of completion Feb. 11, 2011. Bids were solicited Broad Agency Announcement and five bids were received. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Arlington, Va., is the contracting activity (HR011-08-C-0108).

Watts-Weitz, Novato, Calif., was awarded on Aug. 29, 2008 a $51,301,000 construction/firm/fixed price contract for the construction of a combat support brigade at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo. Work will be performed in Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., with an estimated completion date of Feb. 11, 2011. Bids were solicited via web and two bids were received. US Army Corp of Engineers, Kansas City, Mo., is the contracting activity (W912DQ-08-D-0057).

Oshkosh Truck Corporation, Oshkosh, Wis., was awarded on Sept. 3, 2008 a, $82,652,531 firm/fixed price contract. This modification is for the RECAP of 292 HEMMT A4 vehicles. Work will be performed in Oshkosh, Wis., with an estimated completion date of Dec. 31, 2008. One bid was solicited and one was received. TACOM, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity (W56HZV07-C-0248).

Honeywell International Inc, Albuquerque, N.M., was awarded on Sept. 3, 2008, a $11,000,000 cost/plus/fixed fee contract for the design, development, integration, testing and qualification, delivery and support for the upgrade of the OH-Kiowa Warrior aircraft Control Display System four (CDS4) Improved Master Processor Unit (IMCPU) to the CDS IMCPU configuration. Work will be performed in Albuquerque, N.M., with an estimated completion date of Dec. 31, 2011. One bid was solicited and one bid received. U.S. Army Aviation & Missile Command, AMSAM-AC-AR-B, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity (W58RGZ-08-C-0024).

Sampson Construction Co., Inc, Lincoln, Neb., was awarded on Sept. 3, 2008 a, $13,386,147 firm/fixed price contract for the construction of a base civil engineering administration facility, Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D. Work will be performed at Ellsworth Air Force Base, S. D., with an estimated completion date of May 24, 2010. Bids were solicited via web and four bids were received. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha, Neb., is the contracting activity (W9128F-08-C-0022).

DRS Sensors & Targeting Systems, Optronics Division, Palm Bay, Fla., was awarded on Sept. 3, 2008, a $ 40,842,948 firm/fixed price new work modification under the authority of unusual and compelling urgency for 4,229 Driver's Vision Enhancer (DVE) B-Kits (sensor assembly, display control module, and cabling) for the Mine Resident Ambush Protected (MRAP) Program. Work will be performed in Melbourne, Fla., with an estimated completion date of Nov. 30, 2008. Bids were solicited via web and three bids were received. CECOM Acquisition Center, Fort Monmouth, N.J., is the contracting activity (W15P7T-04-C-J202).

Correction: Simmonds Precision Products Inc, Vergennes, Vt., was awarded Aug 27, 2008, a $31,706,454 five- year- firm- fixed- price indefinite -quantity contract for the procurement of integrated vehicle health management system kits, ground support equipment kits and deployment spares in support for the UH-60 aircraft. Work will be performed in Vergennes, Vt., with an estimated completion date of Jul. 31, 2013. One bid was solicited and one bid was received. U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command (AMCOM), is the contracting activity (W58RGZ-08-D-0224).